Skilled trade career opportunities abound in resource sector

Bradley MacIntosh works through exercises at the NAIT Heavy Equipment program in Edmonton, Alberta on Monday, June 11, 2012.

Photograph by: Jimmy Jeong
, Postmedia News

There's no shortage of skilled trade jobs in an economy where the resource industry is booming and employers are looking for able-bodied individuals to do everything from equipment repair to electrical and carpentry work.

Twenty-one-year old Bradley MacIntosh in Edmonton is one of many apprentices whose training will serve him in good stead in a growing economy. Currently apprenticing as a heavy equipment technician for SMS Equipment, he says he likes the idea of working on the "big stuff" like crawlers, excavators and bulldozers.

"My automotive teacher in high school got me interested in the field when he took the class on some tours to heavy equipment shops in the city," he says.

Having grown up on a farm, he's used to fixing larger equipment. Now in his second apprenticeship year, he still enjoys the hands-on and troubleshooting parts of his work. "You're also learning to deal with pressure and timelines, and keeping up with the newest models all the time."

When he's finished, MacIntosh says there's no limit to where it can take him. "I may just tour around Alberta and try out the oil and gas industry or start my own business," he says. "There's definitely enough work to keep me going."

Employment is never much of a problem for someone with MacIntosh's skills. Much of the growth in jobs in the oil and gas sector for example is in the skilled trades, reports Rick Davidson, group lead, recruitment for Cenovus Energy in Calgary. "There are a huge number of job opportunities in existing communities and new ones. I'd say at least half of the positions within our company are skilled trades."

The laundry list of potential careers at Cenovus is a lengthy one, Davidson notes. "The industry needs mechanics, electricians, instrument technicians, heavy equipment operators, millwrights, pipefitters and insulators - all of the skills required to get a facility built and operating. Many of those positions require some sort of certification or journeyman status."

Cenovus is not alone in its skilled trades requirements. A recent report from the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada states that the oil and gas industry will need to fill at least 9,500 jobs by 2015. There is high demand for skilled workers in specific occupations: the top 10 list of greatest labour shortages includes operators, non-steam ticketed operators, truck drivers, millwrights and machinists, heavy equipment operators and welders.

It's not just about filling quotas, however. The industry has a lot to offer from a career perspective, Davidson says. "It's a progressive and growth-oriented industry that offers lots of opportunities for someone to develop their career. Many of these projects are long-term, so people can settle down and raise families and enjoy living in world-class facilities."

Many of the roles are as much about problem solving as heavy lifting, he adds. "These definitely aren't the kind of jobs where you just show up, put your time in and go home. A lot of these people have to take work done by engineering teams and translate them into something that can be done. They really require people to think outside the box and show initiative."

Like many expanding operations, Cenovus counts on apprenticeship programs to build its talent pool, he adds. "The opportunities aren't just through companies like ours. Skilled trades can also work through companies that service us."

Skilled trades in the oil and gas industry extend far beyond the oil rigs, confirms Sean Thorson, CEO with Skills Canada in Ottawa. "There's also all the people needed to support the industry who take care of the maintenance side and keep equipment working properly. Then there are the folks who do the preparatory work such as clearing roads, construction and heavy machinery operation. There's also the food service and transporting equipment side of things."

He says the one thing about the industry that holds great appeal for skilled trades is that it's dynamic and diverse. "There are all sorts of opportunities for people to learn different occupations and progress in their careers. And there are so many aspects to the work it's never the same from day to day."

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